


Save the Date

by digitaleva



Series: Just One Date [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-01 19:00:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4031032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitaleva/pseuds/digitaleva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>6 years have passed since the events of Just One Date Volume 3. The members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR have all gone their seperate ways. They decide to re-unite just in time for a major change in the lives of a few of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reunions

Blake was wandering around the campus at Beacon. She had gotten a message that Ruby and Weiss would be visiting within the next week to say hello. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost walked directly into Peter Port.

“Oh. I… I’m sorry, professor.”

“Ms. Belladonna, think nothing of it. We were both not paying attention to our paths.”

“All the same, I’m still sorry.”

“Very well. Have a good day.”

The two parted ways and headed off to their respective destinations. Neither one would say anything of the near miss again after that.

“So? Did you hear from them?”

The female Faunus looked up to see her boyfriend of almost 6 years walking next to her. When he had arrived, she couldn’t say, as the male Faunus had a habit of dropping in somewhat unexpectedly. She still welcomed the company, all the same.

“Yes. They should be here within the week.”

“Cool. Cool cool cool. Wonder how they’ve been,” he drifted off for a moment before snapping back into focus. “Oh yeah! I got a message from Yang and Neptune! They should be back from Atlas later today.”

“Good to know. Thanks.”

She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. As he looked down, she jumped up and gave him a quick kiss. He quickly moved his arms to catch her, holding the raven-haired Faunus in the embrace a little longer. As he released her, he smiled.

“Still on for tonight?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

She gave his hand a quick squeeze before she headed off to the library to tutor a group of students in history. Oobleck was still teaching at a breakneck pace, and the Faunus had found a niche where she could be surrounded by books and still do what she needed to do. And she was happy to do it. She didn’t worry about the White Fang, but instead would add a small snippet about how they were misguided when she was asked about them.

In Vale, Yang and Neptune had stopped to grab a bite to eat. They were just sitting down when Neptune’s chair developed a fault and the blue-haired human crashed to the ground.

“You alright?”

Yang was fighting to hold back laughter as she reached down to help him up.

“I’m fine. I’m cool. No issues.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m cool. Look, we only have a couple hours. Let’s get to Beacon early.”

The blonde agreed and helped the taller male up off the ground. They then let the cashier know about the chair and headed off towards the school. They hadn’t seen anybody there in about a year, and they were nervous as to the reactions that their arrivals would receive, especially with Yang having a new accessory on her hand.

They had the good fortune of appearing at the airship pad at the same time as Ren and Nora. Yang waved her free hand in the air as they walked closer.

“Hello!” she said in her sing-song manner.

Ren turned around, his hair blowing in the breeze.

“Hello. How have you been?”

“Pretty good. You?”

“We’re doing wonderfully! And still together-together!”

Nora popped her head out from behind the martial artist. She was as bubbly as usual. She wasn’t letting on that anything was different, even if there was potential for some things to change and go south. That was just how she always was.

“Cool. Headed to Beacon?”

Ren nodded in affirmation.

“Yes. Why didn’t you two just take a direct airship?”

“We wanted to…”

“Yang wanted to look around Vale for a little bit before heading back.”

The blonde shot her taller companion a glare, which made him smile nervously, before she started laughing.

“He’s right. I hadn’t seen the town in a while, so I convinced him to switch our flight back to a boat. But that is for another time. Let’s get back to the campus to see Blake.”

As they all agreed that heading back was a good idea, they boarded the airship and it lifted off the ground, heading towards their former school. They were all unaware that Ruby and Weiss would be visiting later in the week.


	2. Planning

As the week went on, Blake and Yang began planning for their former team mates’ arrival back on campus. They knew that they wanted to be able to stay in the same dorm room for one night, but all the quad-bed rooms were full.

So they were going to make due with one of the guest dorms on the other side of the campus. The two Faunus had been using it as their residence, so there was not a whole lot of room in it, mostly due to Blake’s seemingly endless supply of books. However, they had managed to procure some bunk beds and cots and get them through the door, turning the sleeping area into a bunkhouse of sorts.

This would allow for both Team JNPR and Team RWBY to have their reunion in peace, but wouldn’t leave much privacy for things of another nature. This, however, had been planned for by Sun, who had contacted Neptune about colored door hangars. Whichever one was on the door would indicate if it was safe for others to enter the sleeping area. And the two had spent a couple hours color coding them to each couple. If one of those was on the door, you didn’t dare come in.

On the off chance that somebody did not pay attention to the knob adornment, they had attached blackout curtains to the bed frames and ceilings, providing a safety barrier of sorts for emergency use. They weren’t too fond of being intruded upon, and wanted to give the same respect to their friends.

Yang had already been pulled aside by Blake, who had inquired as to the ring on her hand. The only answer she had gotten was that she would tell them when Ruby and Weiss arrived.

As Friday drew to a close, the graduates managed to spend a night just sitting up and watching the stars. Something that they would all admit was relaxing, was, of course, spending it together.

Saturday dawned bright as ever. Sun was the first one up, owing partly to his earlier life, where he would wake up early on purpose. Now, however, it was just a habit. So, as he and Ren were the only two awake, they went out to take in the morning air. As they watched from the balcony, they saw a few students milling around on campus, more than likely new students who were exploring the grounds in the absence of classes.

They got to talking and ended up on the subject of their jobs.

“I’m training under Glynda to be an instructor here.”

“I’ll be honest,” the martial artist said, turning his head, “I never thought that you would want to do that.”

The blonde Faunus scratched his head. He had never seen that in his future either. But many things had changed in his life. And he knew it. He looked back at Ren.

“On that topic, would you take a look at something for me?”

The human wore a quizzical expression on his face until his companion produced a small container from his back pocket.

“I wanna give this to Blake today. Before Ruby and Weiss get here.”

“Then why not now?”

“scuse me?”

“She is waking up now. Why not now?”

“Oh. Good idea.”

Sun went back inside to see the female Faunus sitting up and stretching.

“Morning!”

“Good morning, Sun.”

Blakes expression changed suddenly as she saw him rock back on his heels.

“What’s wrong?”

“Would you come with me? Please?”

She rolled her eyes and got up, following him out onto the balcony, where Ren was now meditating. She was shocked when he turned around and covered her eyes.

“Sun, what is this about?”

“Just trust me, okay?”

He then led her past the meditating martial artist and to the railing, before he removed his hands from her eyes.

As she focused, trying to adjust to the light, she kept catching a glint off of something. When she had focused, she looked down to see his gift to her.

“Sun, it’s gorgeous!”

“Figured you’d like it. I mean, I know you don’t normally wear jewelry, but I saw this and thought that… you know.”

“You didn’t steal this, did you?”

“Steal it? Why would you say that?”

The small glare the comment earned him made him continue.

“No. I bought it. Fair and square.”

“Alright. It is gorgeous.”

She picked up the chain, the black volcanic glass encased in a small vial catching the sun as she did so. She put it around her neck, and turned around.

“What do you think?”

“It looks perfect on you. Oh god! Neptune! Pants!”

The outburst was not all that insane when Blake looked over to find that Neptune had wandered out of the sleeping area, devoid of any scrap of clothing.

“Dude, I know you may walk around like that in your place, but there are other people here, okay?”

The blue-haired human nodded and trudged back inside to see if he could find some pants. Sun then turned his attention back to his girlfriend, to see that she was holding a small object in her own hands.

“Uh… Blake?”

“Look, Sun. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Is this… the end?”

“No. I want to keep on going with you, but on what you could say is a more permanent basis.”

“Wait a minute…”

The male Faunus puzzled over her statement until it dawned on him what she was doing. It was a reversed proposal. She had used the distraction Neptune had provided to retrieve the ring.

“Sun, you don’t have to wear this. I will. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with this idea.”

He stepped in towards her, his hands moving up her arms. He pulled her in close and hugged her tightly.

“For you, anything.”

He then kissed her as she slid the ring onto her own finger, the yellow topaz catching the light and glinting slightly.

Across the balcony, Ren smiled slightly. He had had a hand in the whole affair, having hidden the ring in his palm. When Neptune had done his bit of distracting, Blake had left a clone of herself standing next to Sun, and had grabbed the ring from him before returning to her fiancé’s side. The male Faunus had never even noticed.


	3. Last to Arrive

It had been some time since their graduation from Beacon. As Ruby looked out the window of the airship, she could see the familiar tower of Beacon Academy piercing the clouds. She had been unsure about coming back to Vale after such a long absence, but she had made good on her decision to see the world. And she didn’t regret that.

A hand on her shoulder shook her from her trance, and she looked over to see Weiss smiling at her.

“How long has it been, Weiss? You know. Since we left?”

“It’s been about 5 years. I wonder if anybody is still there we know.”

Ruby looked at her fiancé. Weiss’ face hadn’t changed much since graduation. However, she now wore a long jacket that matched with her white, knee-length skirt, with a light blue, button up shirt. They were, after all, coming back from what was an extended vacation.

Ruby hadn’t really changed either. Except she now had gone from wearing her black skirt to a pair of black pants tucked into her boots. On top, she still wore roughly the same outfit, right down to her signature hooded cape.

The airship turned and came to a stop along-side the cliff-mounted dock, and the pair disembarked. As they exited the airship, they began to look around the campus, hoping to see a familiar face. They had just given up hope when a familiar voice cut through the air.

“Sup, Losers!”

The pair turned around to see Sun hanging from a lamp post. He released his tail from the metal fixture, flipping around and coming to rest on the ground in front of them. His own style of dress hadn’t changed, as he still wore his button-up shirt wide open, and his jeans were as ripped up as ever.

“Well, it’s good to see some things don’t change.”

Weiss’ comment was reassuring to Ruby, but confusing to the Faunus.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Sun,” the black haired woman stated, “we were worried that there wouldn’t be anybody at Beacon to recognize. That’s all.”

“Oh. Hey! Come on. Blake and the others are already waiting for you.”

Ruby’s face lit up as she heard Blake’s name. She hadn’t seen any of her friends in several years, and she wanted to know what was going on with them. So she was the first to fall into line behind Sun, the blonde Faunus leading the way across the campus. As they neared the dorm, they saw Yang’s motorcycle parked outside the guest dorms.

“Yang’s already here?”

“Eeyup. She was one of the first to get here. Arkos got here after that.”

“Uh… Ar...kos?”

Sun looked back at the pair. He then realized that he had let fly a new term for their group.

“Oh! Arkos. Arc-Nikos. Jaune and Pyrrha.”

“Oh. Okay!”

Ruby’s tone was more excited than normal. From the first day she and Jaune had met, the two had become close friends. And now she would see him again and get to just talk.

The trio entered the dorms to find that Yang and Blake, with some help from Oobleck, had moved Team JNPR into their own room, albeit next door, and had installed a joining door, allowing easy passage between the two sections of building.

“Heya, Jaune!”

Ruby waved as she bounded over to the blonde swordsman, Crescent Rose staying firmly attached despite the motion. Since their graduation, Jaune had grown a slight beard, nothing too major, just a line of hair along his jawline that he kept trimmed. He had also managed to grow his hair out a little more, and it was tied back in a loose ponytail.

“Hey, Ruby!”

Pyrrha stuck her head out around a corner.

“Hello again!”

Before anymore greetings could be dispensed, Ruby was caught up in a hug from her older sister. Once she stopped struggling, she looked down and noticed the platinum band on the blonde woman’s finger.

“Yang? What did you do?”

“Ruby, it’s been 5 years. And that’s how you say hi?”

“Yang Xiao Long, you owe me an answer!”

The brawler looked at her sister and sighed. In this moment, there was no stopping the woman until she got an answer, so she obliged.

“Neptune and I are married, yes. No. It wasn’t a big ceremony. Just a small thing with dad and Uncle Qrow.”

Ruby deflated at this.

“And you didn’t invite me…”

“Ruby,” Yang said, putting a hand on her sister’s shoulder, “it was a quick thing. We are having a big ceremony later. And you are invited to that. I couldn’t go down an aisle without my sister, could I?”

During all of this, Pyrrha and Weiss had wandered off.


	4. Discussion, Part 1

A few days had passed since Ruby and Weiss’ arrival, and they were already feeling like they were back at school. They were waking up earlier than they had in the past 5 years. Even the year of their graduation, they had not woken up as early as they were right now.

As Ruby rolled over, she ended up getting an eyeful of Neptune leaving the bathroom. The blue-haired Huntsman immediately noticed her and returned to the bathroom to grab a towel.

“Sorry!”

The scythe-wielder face-palmed before saying, “It’s okay. Nothing I haven’t seen before!”

This response caused Yang to peek out around the corner.

“Excuse me?”

Ruby merely glared at her sister, her face set in a “you-know-full-well-what-I-mean” expression. The blonde grinned sheepishly as she returned to the confines of the bathroom.

By now, Weiss had woken and was stretching. She tapped Ruby on the shoulder, causing the younger woman to turn around. Her target acquired, the heiress planted a kiss on her lover’s lips.

“Good morning, Ruby.”

“It is now.”

In the other room, Ren and Jaune were making breakfast.

“You know, Ren, It has been a while.”

The marital artist nodded and continued cutting up various meats, cheeses, and vegetables.

“And we haven’t done anything as a team yet…”

“Jaune?”

The blonde looked over at his friend.

“What is it?”

“You’re burning the pancakes.”

The following moments could only be described as a comedy. Nora flew, seemingly out of nowhere, into the room and over to the counter. Via some potentially arcane and dark art, she managed to take control of the griddle from Jaune. The fate of morning food changed to positive, the blonde walked away defeatedly.

“Sorry, Jaune.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ren. I have never made pancakes before.”

The taller man looked at him, a confused expression on his face.

“Well, not outside of frozen ones that you heat up.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry about that. Didn’t know. Can you hand me that bowl?”

“What’cha need it for?”

“Eggs. Omelets are a thing today.”

Not wanting to make things worse, Jaune turned, grabbed the bowl Ren had pointed at, and handed it over. He then headed back over to the sleeping area, where Pyrrha was rolling over.

As she did, she reached her arm over and was slightly confused when it hit empty bed. She picked her head up off the pillow slightly and opened her eyes a small amount. Seeing that Jaune wasn’t there, she sat up and began looking around. Her gaze fixed on him walking back over to where she was now seated.

“’morning!”

“Good morning, Jaune.”

“How’d you… uh… ya know… how’d you sleep?”

“Jaune, I slept fine. I’ll be honest, I missed this.”

The blonde was a little confused at his fiancé’s response.

“Missed… what now?”

“Being under the same roof as our team mates. It is reassuring.”

Jaune stepped over to the bed and sat down. The red-haired Huntress leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder as he did this.

“Jaune?”

“Hmm?”

“We really should set a date.”

The comment was not lost on the blonde. He knew that they had been putting off their wedding until the ideal moment, but he was so afraid of messing up something that he had done his best to avoid the subject. Even reassurances from his own parents hadn’t eased his nerves on this one.

~two weeks earlier~

“Jaune, you’ve already got her! What are you afraid of?”

“Ochre!”

Jaune’s mother looked at his father, a horrified look on her face.

“Sorry, dear,” was the immediate apology. He then returned his attention to his son.

“Dad, it’s not that I’m afraid of losing her. It’s just that it is one of those things that I’m pretty sure she views as a big deal, and I don’t want to mess it up. When you and mom got married….”

“Jaune, I made loads of mistakes!”

“Wait… You did?”

His mother smiled.

“Sweetie, he said he would be with me “until desk do us part.” I’ve never heard things said that way.”

“And you ran with it?”

“Of course. That is part of how it works. You take them for them, faults and all. There is no backing down at this point.”

The blonde smiled. He was glad that he could talk to his parents on the whole issue.

~Present~

The swordsman swallowed the lump in his throat. It was going to be now or never.

“Alright. Let’s do this. When sounds good to you?”

Pyrrha looked at him. The confidence in his eyes had come from somewhere, but she would ask him about it later.

“The other night, when Weiss and I walked away for a bit, we discussed doing a double wedding,” she paused, looking up at him as she was leaning still.

“Is that… is that okay?”

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that if he was having this much trouble, Ruby and Weiss were surely in the same boat.

“Sounds good. When, exactly?”

“A month from now. She wanted to make sure it would be warm enough.”

“Wait a minute… Outdoors?”

In the next room, Ruby and Weiss were in the middle of the same discussion.

“Ruby?”

“Ye…yeah. Sounds great.”

The black-haired woman was now several shades paler than she normally was, even under the slight tan that she had gained from traveling the world. Under any other circumstance, she would not be this nervous. But here she was, discussing the date for her wedding. Right in front of Yang and Neptune. Blake and Sun had gone for a walk, so they were not present.

The blonde could tell that her sister was scared slightly.

“Weiss?”

“Yang?”

“Nora!!!”

Everybody in the room jumped as the orange haired woman jumped over the window sill and into the room.

“What are you doing?”

Through the window, a shout was heard.

“Nora!”

“Sorry, Ren!”

She then turned back to the occupants of the room.

“You guys hungry? Ren made pancakes and stuff.”

Neptune looked at Yang, who smiled and nodded.

“See you next door!”

Nora smiled after delivering that remark and skipped out of the room.

Yang then turned her attention back to Weiss.

“Word of advice: asking Ruby anything first thing in the morning is a bad idea.”

The quartet then exited the room and headed to the next residence.


	5. Discussion, Part 2

“So, Jaune. I can only assume based on your face that Pyrrha told you?”

The blonde was sitting across from Weiss, but next to his fiancé. His skin tone was also slightly pale, same as Ruby’s. He had never expected the discussion to come up that early in the morning. If anybody were to ask him at this point, he was feeling somewhat ambushed.

“Uh-huh.”

“And?”

He put his head in his hands. He could tell he was rapidly passing his normal shade and turning red.

“Jaune was just as shocked as Ruby when he was told.”

“Oh. I see. So that’s how it is then?”

Ruby looked at her fiancé.

“Weiss, it isn’t anything like that. Neither of us expected you and Pyrrha to be… well…”

“So sneaky.”

Everybody turned to Sun at this point.

“What? I’m only saying the word she’s looking for!”

He then shrank slightly until Ruby backed him up.

“He’s right.”

Both Weiss and Pyrrha blushed slightly at this. They looked at each other and realized that they had made this whole plan without including their other-halves. They looked over at their partners.

“Sorry,” was the unison response.

“Weiss, don’t apologize. I was just caught off guard. That’s all.”

“Pyrrha, you don’t need to be sorry for making plans. You’re better than me at that, anyway!”

Both couples relaxed as they realized that a mutual understanding had been reached. They then all paled when they heard the next statement.

“That means that I get to plan a party for Ruby.”

“I call Jaune.”

Everybody looked to the sources of the statements. Over the years, Sun and Yang had become party-planning fiends. If they were behind any pre-nuptial festivities, things would get crazy. And they would get crazy rather quickly. They all remembered back to a party that the two had orchestrated immediately after graduation. Lampshades were worn. Ren ended up in a dress. And Nora had been found on the roof after 6 days.

The blonde woman put her hand in the air.

“I promise that it won’t be that wild.”

She then elbowed the male Faunus.

“Uh… what she said.”

“Sun,” Blake said, “we still have reason to fear. The definition of ‘wild’ you two seem to have has been proven to be completely different from the one the rest of us have.”

Both blondes smiled nervously and walked out of the room. Neptune rose to his feet soon after.

“I’ll keep an eye on them.”

For some reason, this reassured everybody present. Then Nora spoke up.

“As for you two,” she said pointing fingers at Pyrrha and Weiss, “we have some talking to do ourselves.”

Ren slumped and put his head on the table. He only picked it up once the three women had left the room.

“Nora likes to go shopping when things like this happen.”

“She’ll be fine. Weiss won’t let people waste money.”  
“I can only hope you’re right, Ruby. I can only hope.”

Out on the quad, Yang and Sun were sitting and talking, unaware of being watched.

“So, you thinking clubbing?”

“Nah. Ruby doesn’t do that. She’s never been much of a party girl.”

“Weird. Always thought you two would have that in common.”

“Movies?”

“You know how many times that we did that while we were in school?”

“True.”

Every single time that things were suggested by one, the other would shoot it down. This continued until Doctor Oobleck happened upon the confused pair.

“Good day! How can I help you?”

“Doctor! We were… uh…”

“Discussing the nuptial events for your friends and families?”

Sun face-faulted.

“Well… more like pre-wedding things, but same thing.”

“Right right right. So you have any plans figured out yet?”

The blonde woman looked at the caffeine addict.

“Uh… Doc? What are you saying?”

“When I was younger, I did my fair share of partying. And I have the perfect spot for you. There is a beach just outside of the city. We used to have parties there all the time. Use that. There should be no problems there.”

He then gave them a piece of paper with the location written on it and zipped off to lecture students on history.

Yang turned to Sun.

“Let’s scope this place out. See what we’re getting into, you know?”

The blonde Faunus nodded in agreement and they sauntered off towards Yang’s motorcycle.

Back in the room, Ruby and Jaune were discussing things with Ren.

“Ren, I’m just… not sure, you know?”

“About what?”

“Me neither. It’s a big day, and Weiss would want it perfect.”

The martial artist looked at his former leader and his friend.

“You two will be fine. I’m more concerned about what Yang and Sun have planned for you two prior to that.”

All three of them winced at the thought of the potential for disaster that could come from that. They were pulled back into reality when Blake spoke up.

“Sun won’t do anything too dangerous. If anything, he’ll keep your sister restrained, Ruby.”

Ruby looked at her sister’s former partner, and a smile returned to her face. She knew that she could trust the Faunus if she said that. Blake’s word was as good as gold.

“Thanks. I still worry.”

Down at the beach, Sun and Yang were thrilled to see that it was maintained. What they weren’t pleased about was finding a notice that they would have to reserve the beach for the event.

“Oobleck never mentioned this.”

“Probably just slipped his mind. He was in a hurry.”

Sun smiled as he said this. He had been working with Glynda, but had developed an understanding of the other professors’ idiosyncrasies as well. He knew that Port would tell stories as a teaching method, and Oobleck was so far into history that people were lucky to pull him away from a book.

“Fair enough,” the brawler said, punching her open palm. “Let’s get this reserved.”

They headed off towards the office to make their reservation for the coming festivities.

Back in town, Nora, Weiss, and Pyrrha were sitting at a café and enjoying some tea.

“So, do we have a day set,” Nora questioned.

“I was thinking... about the end of this semester.”

Pyrrha looked at Weiss.

“Why so late?”

The heiress turned to her friend.

“That way, we don’t have much to worry about. Do it in the middle of the year, and we have the issue of students ruining things. Do it at the start, and they are using the location we talked about for initiation.”

The red-haired woman thought about it for a moment before nodding.

“You’re right. Let’s shoot for that.”

Nora stood up.

“This. Is. Happening! You guys only have a couple months to go then!”

Weiss’ eyes shot wide open.

“What do you mean ‘a couple months’?!”

“You all got back half-way through the year. They are ending the semester soon.”


	6. Preparations

The next five weeks were filled with panic and frustration. Ruby and Weiss were in charge of contacting catering services, and Jaune and Pyrrha were busy with decorations, until they had decided that Weiss knew how to decorate far better than Jaune. At which point, the blonde human was paired with the scythe-wielder to handle food and seating arrangements, leaving Pyrrha and Weiss on the decorating committee.

One thing that ended the panic was Glynda suggesting that they keep the ceremony smaller, limiting the guest list to close friends and family only.

“Well, with that taken care of, now what?”

Jaune looked over at Ruby, who shrugged her shoulders.

“Not a clue.”

They were then approached by a familiar face that they hadn’t seen in a few years.

“Ruby. Jaune. How are you?”

They looked over at the voice, and saw it belonged to their combat instructor.

“Professor Terra! How are you?”

Ruby was smiling until she noticed that the professor’s appearance had changed somewhat drastically in 5 years. He was now wearing his hair completely down, and he sported a face covered in stubble, his goat-tee lost to the ages. He had replaced his white button-up shirt with a black and silver athletic shirt that was visible under an unbuttoned silver shirt. His denim pants had also been replaced with a pair of khaki cargo pants.

“Professor, you look… different.”

Nero smiled a little. Hearing their voices made things a little nicer. He wasn’t about to tell them everything that had gone down in their absence, as he knew what was coming up for them.

“Ruby, I’m doing well. Been better, but I’m doing well.”

He turned to Jaune.

“I could say the same of you, Mr. Arc.”

He then looked past them to notice Pyrrha and Weiss walking up.

“Your better halves approach.”

Ruby puzzled by this until she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist. She turned her head slightly, being met by Weiss’ lips contacting her cheek.

“You guys doing alright?”

“Yup! We’re good!”

Pyrrha looked over at their companion.

“Good day, professor.”

“Same to you Ms. Nikos.”

The four then all became slightly puzzled when Nero put a hand on his chin.

“Yeah. Ruby. Jaune. I’m taking you two on a trip.”

Weiss thrust her hands down to her sides.

“Not in the middle of planning this you don’t!”

Nero backed off slightly, his hands raised to shoulder level.

“Woah there. Once the plans are done, of course. And I promise to have them back in time for the events. I swear it. Just a one week thing.”

The white-haired Huntress glared at him, searching his face for any hint of deception. Finding none, she relaxed. She wasn’t happy about it, but she knew that Ruby might like it. So she relented.

“Alright.”

She kissed Ruby, pulling her fiancé closer as she did so. As she backed off, she smiled.

“You be careful, okay?”

“Of course, Weiss. I’ll be with Jaune. He won’t let me get into trouble.”

Pyrrha kissed Jaune before leading Weiss away from Ruby, the latter having to be dragged.

“Um… Ruby? Are you sure she’ll be okay?”

Ruby stopped waving goodbye to her lover.

“She’ll be fine. If not, Nora can break legs.”

The pair then turned to follow Nero away from the cliff. As they walked, they began their conversation again.

“So, professor. How is your wife?”

Nero looked towards the ground at the question, his expression changing. Ruby had inadvertently hit a nerve. And it was the same issue he had been struggling with for the past two years.

“She… she and I aren’t together anymore, Ruby.”

“But I don’t understand. You had told me you wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

The older male looked back at her, his expression somber.

“Yes. I did. And now, I would give the world to have her back.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

They stopped to sit for a short while, allowing their former instructor to catch his breath and fill them in on the details.

“It was about five months ago. She was in the city, shopping for some things. Normal, everyday stuff, you know? And then there was an explosion. And there was smoke. And fire. And she…”

He trailed off, hanging his head again.

“Professor… I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“No. Ruby. Not your fault. I was told that I need to talk about it to move forward.”

He then looked back up.

“She survived, but she was not the same. Like a part of her died. She couldn’t care for herself anymore. She kept getting weaker. Every day. She got weaker. Less and less of her was there. And then... last month... I was there when she..." Nero trailed off at this.

Jaune picked up on the situation slightly faster than Ruby for once.

"Professor.... Are you sure you're alright?"

The older Huntsman looked up. He knew that they hadn't meant to go down that path, but it had come out anyway.

"Yes, Mr. Arc. I'm fine. As long as I live, I have decided to make the world a better place for future generations. Even if it means sacrificing my happiness. As Huntsmen and Huntresses, I’m sure you understand that your wants and needs come second.”

Ruby and Jaune both nodded and looked at each other.

“Professor?”

“Hmm?”

“Come on. Let’s get you some fresh air and a change of scenery. You need it more than us.”

They then headed off to a waiting vehicle that would take them away to their destination. Back in the center of campus, Weiss and Pyrrha were talking with Glynda.

“He seemed… different.”

“He has been through a rough patch recently. He lost his wife last year. She was his world.”

“Oh. That is terrible. I didn’t know.”

Glynda put a hand on each of the women’s shoulders. She then smiled.

“I was the one who suggested he take Ruby and Jaune on a trip. He needs to get out for a bit, and I think those two will be perfect for the job. Now, as for you two, how have things been?”


	7. Side Stepping

The trio sat in the back of the ATV, silence holding sway over the assembly. They hadn’t said much since they had departed from Beacon, and nobody was sure what to do to break the unnerving hush that had gripped the vehicle. Finally, the creepy calm was broken by an announcement from the driver.

“We’re approaching the destination.”

As they drew nearer, they arrived at what appeared to be a traditional building from a martial arts film.

“So… Uh… why are we here?”

Nero lifted his head, his hands remaining clasped.

“To relax for a couple days. The three of us need it.”

They exited the vehicle and entered. As they did, an older man walked over to Nero. As he reached the Huntsman, he pulled him into a hug.

“But I… I don’t understand.”

“You didn’t fail, Nero. You merely were not able to prevent nature from taking its course. Do not worry about that. I do not blame you.”

He then ushered the trio inside.

“Uh… Professor?”

The older man beat Nero to the answer.

“I am his father-in-law. I don’t fault him for my daughter’s untimely departure from our world. He feels blame for it though. Which I wish he would not. She would not want him moping as he does.”

Ruby extended a hand.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m…”

“Ruby Rose. Daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose. Graduated from Beacon Academy. You are preparing for your wedding to the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.”

The black-haired woman was stunned.

“How did you…”

“Know all that? Secrets do not keep long in the world. But I am being rude. Do come in. All of you.”

They entered and were shown to their rooms, where they began to discuss how far they had gotten on their end for the wedding.

Back on campus, Glynda was talking to Weiss and Pyrrha.

“I know it seems like a lot hasn’t been accomplished, but Professor Ozpin has assured me that you will have the use of the ballroom again. And there is very little for you to fear from other students wandering in. They will be away on vacation. So we have a safety margin.”

“But professor…”

“Ms. Schnee, please. Know this: You are leaving this alone for a couple days. I’m certain that Ms. Belladonna can handle things for a while.”

Pyrrha put her hand on Weiss’ shoulder.

“I’m with her on this one. Come on. Let’s take a break and relax. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Relenting once more, Weiss gave up her protests, and went along with the other two women.

Back at the hot spring, the group was pleasantly surprised to find that it was unisex. There was a pre-marriage section that was designed to separate the groom from the bride, but the circumstances of their wedding being different, Ruby was also a groom. So she was in with Jaune and Nero.

They were sitting submerged in the boiling water, letting the heat and steam relax their muscles and ease their minds. They were calm and collected until they heard a trio of voices that sounded awfully familiar. Without looking back, they immediately moved to submerge as far as they could without needing to hold their breath.

“I know this location seems antiquated, but you have to trust me. There is no better way to unwind.”

“Weiss, there is nothing wrong with relaxing every once in a while.”

“I know that. I just thought I saw a familiar pair of shoes back there.”

“Ms. Schnee, many people wear red and black. It isn’t only a color combination favored by Ms. Rose”

Nero paled. He hadn’t thought that Glynda would choose to bring Weiss and Pyrrha to the same location. He looked over at Ruby, who slumped a little lower, bubbles escaping into the water as she blew air from her mouth. Jaune, meanwhile, had gone completely stiff, his body not wanting to move. As Nero moved to pull Jaune lower in the water, he was spotted.

“Nero?”

He turned around, a nervous grin on his face.

“Hello Glynda.”

Weiss then noticed the top of Ruby’s head. Pyrrha had also noticed the statue that was her fiancé. While the heiress moved into the water to greet Ruby, Pyrrha almost fell over laughing as Jaune, in a moment of sheer terror, lost his balance and fell off the ledge and made contact with the water face first.

Once everything had calmed down, everybody was situated in the hot water and calmly discussing the events that had gone down.

“We were here for about a day. What made you decide on here?”

“Nero,” Glynda said, in a matter of fact voice, “You and I both know that there are benefits to hot springs. Knowing the location of one is not exactly a hard thing to do.”

Jaune, meanwhile, was doing his best not to stare at Pyrrha, her current attire being a revealing red two-piece that left very little to the outsider’s mind. For Jaune, it was just more of a not wanting to mess up and do something in the middle of a group of people type scenario. He didn’t know what would be allowed, but he was fairly certain that being with his fiancé like that was among the things that he wouldn’t be doing.

Ruby, on the other hand was sitting next to Weiss, and they were relaxing, allowing the heat to penetrate their bodies, relaxing them. They definitely needed the relaxation, as their globe-hopping trip after graduation had involved working as well, so they hadn’t done much in the way of vacation. And they didn’t see it happening any time in the future after their wedding, as Weiss was going to be brought in as the head of the Schnee Dust Company. Her father was stepping down. And she had plans to make things better all around.

They would end up spending the remainder of the week at their location, calming down and helping Nero get over things. After the week ended, they gathered their things and prepared to leave. But they wouldn’t be able to without the owner providing some advice of his own.

“Remember: In the contract you are about to sign, you both give one hundred percent. Anything less, and you all fail.”


	8. Back to the Grind

The week at the hot spring had been refreshing. The sextet returned to Beacon relaxed and renewed. Of course, this meant that Nero was right off to teaching again. Glynda had recruited Jaune to help her for the week, as Nero had hijacked Sun to help with his class. There was no avoiding it. Everybody was working. This left Ruby with Ren to help with her suit. 

She had no idea what this would entail, as she had never owned one. But she was shocked to find out that the martial artist was also something of a tailor and knew how to take measurements, which allowed them to speed up the process when they went into town to buy her the garments she would be wearing in less than a week.

“Ren, I don’t see why we are buying them.”

“Simple: You buy them, and then you don’t need to worry about anything later. No need to return a rental or worry about losing a piece. It is then yours for life.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense. Why are you coming with me?”

“I’m picking up Jaune’s suit from the same place. I made the order for him. We are also meeting Neptune there. He is getting his at the same time.”

“Cool.”

They went in to the shop, and were greeted by an older man who seemed to have seen better years. Ruby was beginning to question if everybody who ran a shop in Vale was related. Ren simply handed over the piece of paper with Ruby’s measurements to the man, and he returned a moment later with a three-piece suit that was black with a red vest. There was even a red handkerchief with it.

“I figured you’d want something in your style.”

“Thanks Ren.”

They paid and exited the store, just as Neptune walked in. The blue haired man had been asked by Yang to pick up her dress as well, so it was good that Ruby wasn’t in the store, as the man had accidentally brought out Weiss’ wedding dress. Ren kept the black-haired woman looking straight ahead as he caught that out of the corner of his eye. Once they were clear of the shop’s windows, he noticed his Scroll was vibrating. How long it had been doing that for, he wasn’t exactly sure. But he pulled it out to find a message from Nora.

[=Ren, We really need to talk=]

He looked over at Ruby, the scythe-wielder starting to sweat again.

“Ruby, it’ll be fine.”

“I know. I’m still scared.”

“Let’s got get some lunch.”

“But didn’t you get a message just now?”

“I did. I’ll call them back. You head over and get us a table. I’ll have Neptune join us.”

“Sounds good.”

She headed off towards a local restaurant that she knew they all frequented when they were younger and Ren dialed Nora’s number.

“What’s going on?”

“’Ren….’”

“Nora? What’s wrong?”

“’Ren… I…’”

“Nora, you have to tell me.”

“’Can I talk to you in person?’”

“Sure. Just give me couple hours.”

“Thanks, Ren.”

He hung up just as Neptune was walking by him.

“’sup?”

“Can you go join Ruby at the shop down the street? I have to go see Nora. Something’s not right.”

“Sure thing, man. Want me to let her know what’s up?” 

“Just tell her that Nora said it was urgent.”

“Will do, bro. Will do.”

The two men parted ways, with Ren making a double time run to get back to Beacon as soon as possible.

Back on campus, Nora was sitting under a tree, her arm having been bandaged after she had bet Sun that she could climb a tree faster and better than he could. When she saw him rushing towards her, she smiled sheepishly and rubbed her head with her undamaged arm.

“Nora…”

“Sorry, Ren.”

“I thought you were severely hurt.”

“Nope. I’m fi… ow!”

She grimaced as she tried to stand up. Apparently, more was hurt than just her pride. Ren put his arm around her and picked up his injured girlfriend.

“Thanks, Ren.”

“Nora, don’t do this again.”

“Sure thing. Not planning on it.”

They headed off towards their room, where Ren would begin the process of bandaging his injured partner up better than the passing underclassman could. He discovered that she had cut up her side far worse than she claimed, and her shoulder had been slightly dislocated. After putting her back together, he laid her down and sat on the edge of the bed.

As he got up to leave, he was stopped by a hand holding on to his sleeve.

“Ren?”

“Hmm?”

“Stay with me?”

“Sure.”

They weren’t alone for 5 minutes before Yang, Sun, and Blake walked in.

“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t. I’m just saying that getting those two to separate is going to be difficult. Hey Ren.”

“True. Just leave that to me. Ruby will have to follow along with me…. What happened to you, Nora?”

“Fell out of a tree.”

“So you did make it up.”

“Pfft. Duh? I wasn’t about to let you beat me, hook butt!”

“Watch it, hammer-queen!”

The two then devolved into laughter, which left everybody confused. They would continue until Ren spoke up.

“Getting who to separate?”

“We have the pre-requisite pre-nuptial pre-party planned for Ruby and Jaune. We just don’t know how to get Pyrrha to let lover boy go.”

“Leave that to me. I have no reason to hurt him.”

Sun smirked.

“Cool. Here’s the place he needs to be.”

Ren looked at the address and nodded.

“Nora, I’m going to go get Jaune.”

“Okie-dokey. Have fun!”

“I’ll try.”

The martial artist then leaned down and gave the hammer-queen a quick kiss on the cheek before he left the room, followed by Yang and Sun. The trio wouldn’t be seen before the next morning.


	9. Countdown

The big day dawned and woke up the sleeping masses. Jaune and Ruby had been forcibly kept in Ozpin’s office, all to prevent them from sneaking in to their significant others. Which worked marvelously as Glynda had disabled the elevator once they were up there. As they sat up, still groggy from the consumption of alcohol, they noticed that they weren’t in their room, and Ren was sleeping by the door, as he had been selected to stand guard by the rest of the attendees at their party.

The blonde cautiously moved across the spacious room, his bare feet echoing as they padded across the tiled surface. As he neared his friend, he reached out a hand. He was certain that one of two things would happen: The first was that Ren would wake and kill him. The second was that Ren was already awake, and would merely greet him. Much to his surprise, the martial artist simply raised his head and slowly opened his eyes.

“Good morning, Jaune. Sleep well?”

“You… you could say that. Just wish that I had been a little warmer.”

Ren looked across the room and was suddenly reminded that Ruby had her seemingly ever-present red cape. She had used it as a blanket during the night, while Jaune had been left with basically a summer blanket. Even though it was nearing the warmest time of the year, a slight chill hung in the air due to the altitude of the office. The martial artist had been slightly cold during the nocturnal period as well, but he had shrugged it off as sharing a bed with Nora had taught him that she was a blanket hog.

Across the room, Ruby was stretching. She had been curled into a ball all night, missing the warmth that came from her fiancé’s body. She had thought about cuddling up next to Jaune, but she hadn’t wanted to lead to any potentially embarrassing or compromising positions. So, in her mind, she had made the decision to stay away from her friend, despite knowing how sharing body warmth can help in cold climates.

Down in the dorms, Blake’s scroll began to ring. As the female Faunus rolled over and fumbled about with her hand, looking less than graceful, it continued to sound, slowly drawing the attention of the other occupants. Once she managed to get her hand on the thin, device, she answered it somewhat groggily.

“’morning…”

“Good morning, Blake.”

“Ren, do you know what time it is?”

“’Yes. Yes I do. And I’m sorry for waking you up so early, but can you have Sun bring the two suits up from the other room? I don’t want to risk having them meet.’”

“Sure thing. See you later today then.”

“’Yes. See you then.’”

As she hung up, she stretched and looked around. Weiss was cuddled up next to Zwei, who had arrived the previous day, pre-packed in his postage tube. As much as she didn’t trust dogs, Blake had to admit that she was comfortable with the Corgi. Yang was stretching in her bed, as Neptune snored away. How she could sleep next to him was a miracle to her until she remembered that blonde woman snored like a thundering herd of buffalo as well. She smiled slightly as she stood up to go and get her fiancé from the balcony where he was stretching.

Back in the sleeping area, Yang was slowly opening her eyes. She knew that Blake had gotten a phone call, which could only have meant that Jaune and Ruby were awake. Which meant that she would have to move Weiss to the next dorm to help get the heiress ready for the day. Even though it looked as though Weiss would have killed her if she woke her up from her dream.

The only thing that saved her from wrath was the fact that it was Zwei’s face-licking wake-up call that brought the shorter woman into consciousness.

“Mmmm… Zwei… Stop…”

As Weiss’s eyes opened, she saw that Yang was sitting up and watching the whole thing, a smile on her face.

“What is so funny?”

“Weiss, it’s time to get started.”

“Yang Xiao Long, I’m not sure what Ruby has told you, but I do not take more than 45 minutes to get ready.”

“Today, you do. Just let us help you this time. Okay?”

The white-haired woman looked at her soon-to-be-sister-in-law. She sighed and relinquished her control over her appearance to the taller woman.

“Fine. But if you mess this up, you are going to be in so much trouble.”

She then reluctantly left the warmth of the bed and headed over to the next dorm, where Nora and Pyrrha were already getting ready.

Across the campus, Sun had gained a slight escort as he had bumped in to Nero. The two were now marching towards the building that contained the other half of the wedding party. There was no stopping it. As they drew closer, they slowed as they heard a shout.

“Hey! Wait up!”

Neptune came into view quickly, panting slightly as he slowed to a stop. He had noticed that Sun was already gone when he woke up, so the blue-haired human had rushed out of the room to make sure that he was in the right place. He had only wished that he could have given Yang a kiss before doing so, however, the blonde woman was already over with the two brides, and he didn’t want to risk knowing anything that could spoil the surprise for Ruby and Jaune. He knew what Weiss’ dress was, which was only by accident, and he had almost mentioned it the previous night before Yang had shoved her hand over his mouth.

So he was still a little tired, but he was waking up rapidly in the cool, morning air.

“Why didn’t you get me up?”

“Easy, dude. I’m just delivering. That’s all.”

Nero looked over at the younger Huntsman.

“We managed to bump into each other on the way here, so I offered to help.”

“Oh. Okay. Wasn’t sure, so I brought both suits.”

It was now that Sun noticed that his friend had carted both of their suits with him during his “marathon”. The blonde Faunus stretched out his hand.

“Thanks, dude.”

“No problem.”

They then turned back towards the building in question and entered, heading over to the elevator, which Ren had re-activated by means of a card key. They moved into the small car, squeezing in to ensure that they didn’t destroy the suits, and Nero hit the button for the top floor. The elevator started with a lurch, and began the ascent to the office where the group was preparing.

Back in the dorms, the scene was a mess. Cans of hair spray and various other products were continually airborne between Nora and Yang, who were both prepping their friends for their big day. If anybody from the military had been there, it would have been declared a chemical warfare location, as the aerosol hung in the air in thick, white fog, obscuring the view for anybody who walked above a crouch for a while. It was only when Blake entered that they opened a window.

“Are you trying to kill them?”

“Pfft. Kill them? Naaah.”

Nora was laughing, despite her watery eyes, irritated by the previously growing chemical cloud.

“Nora, I do appreciate your help, but please. Let’s move on to something else before we all choke to death.”

“Okie dokie.”

The orange-haired hammer-wielder smiled as she opened all the windows, allowing the outside air to take the toxic cloud cover outside, where it dissipated rapidly. As she went back to the red-haired athlete, she picked up a manicure kit from the table. She wasn’t sure how to do everything in it, but Weiss was watching and would be sure to correct her in the event of a mistake.

Blake had decided to sit on the floor until the two brides were done, as she was overly sensitive to the hairspray fumes in the room. She didn’t want to rain on their parades. So she was slightly surprised when Weiss came over and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a chair.

“Weiss, I… I’m not sure what you are trying to do.”

“Blake, please. Just let me have this. After this week, I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit again. So please. Humor me this once. Also, I have something for you.”

The raven-haired Faunus was confused as her friend and team mate placed a box in her hand.

“Weiss…”

“Blake, I get that you don’t like drawing attention to your being a Faunus. I get that. But if you are going to hide your heritage today, at least use this.”

As Blake opened the box, she was surprised to find a long, black strip of fabric with her symbol on it. She had always used the one ribbon before, but this one was different. The usual material she wore was a cotton, and this was a shiny black silk.

“Thank you, Weiss. You didn’t need to do this.”

“Well, I… I didn’t want you to feel like you had to wear the same one all the time.”

Everybody, including Weiss, after realizing how humorous she sounded, laughed for a bit. The next few hours would change everything for two of them, and they wanted to enjoy the last few minutes while they could.

Over in Ozpin’s office, there was a comedy of almost equal proportions going on. Jaune was trying to tie a bow tie, and continually ended up with it facing vertical, as opposed to horizontal. So it was decided that he would use the alternate tie that Ren had wisely talked him into having with it, this being a normal necktie. He had that on and ready to go immediately, with there being no issues, as a necktie had been part of their school and formal uniforms prior to graduation from Beacon.

Ruby had never tied a tie before in her life, and had managed to tie her hands together with it before she bothered to ask for help. Nero walked over to her and they sorted out the new piece of neckwear for the day, managing to only tie it wrong twice after that. Sun was hanging from a fixture on the ceiling, having climbed up to avoid Neptune attempting him to change from his usual attire. This changed when he heard a gun cock and looked down to see both Obsidian Steel and Crescent Rose pointed at him.

“Sun, please. Just for today.”

“Promise?”

Ruby looked up at the Faunus and smiled.

“Yup!”

He dropped down, almost landing on Jaune.

“Alright. Still don’t like those neck traps, though.”

With that issue resolved, Nero and Neptune walked towards the Elevator.

“Hey! Where are you two going?”

Sun’s outburst was slightly understandable. He knew that Neptune was part of the wedding party. And he didn’t want any slipups either. Not to mention that if he had to be separated from his fiancé, the human should be separated from his wife for a while as well.

“Alright. I’ll stay.”

“I, on the other hand,” Nero said, resuming his journey, “need to go get ready myself.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Ruby, you invited me. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Not every day two people I know get married.”

“Oh.”

He then headed into the elevator and descended to the ground level to head towards the teachers’ lodgings, where Oobleck was waiting for him, a pressed suit all ready to go.

“Are you going to be alright?”

“Bartholomew, today, I am ready for anything. They won’t have their weapons. So we shall be ready with ours.”

“I’m sorry, but “we”?”

Nero motioned towards the next room, where three heads poked out around the corner.

“We’ll be ready.”

“You bet your ass, we will!”

“I am fully prepared for the events that could transpire to…”

Violetto was cut off when Lilly elbowed him.

“I’ll be ready.”

The caffeine fueled lecturer turned to his friend.

“Decided to bring your whole team in on this? Excellent.”

Nero smiled.

“Well, we all taught them at one point.”

They continued their conversation as they got ready. Their dressing was not as bad, as they were merely wearing attire that they would wear to a formal dance.


	10. Zero Hour, Part 1

There was no denying it. If Jaune and Ruby had been balls of nerves earlier, they were now a twin solar system of them. The blonde was almost sweating bullets, and they weren’t even at the start of the ceremony. In fact, they only had about an hour before hand. And Jaune was freaking out because of Ruby panicking.

“Where is Yang? I can’t find her anywhere. Maybe she’s with Weiss. I’m gonna go ask… HURK!”

The declaration of intent was cut short when Sun and Ren caught her under the arms and Ozpin caught her feet.

“You will be doing no such thing, Ms. Rose.”

The headmaster’s tone was stern, yet caring.

“But I need to know where she is!”

“Ruby, I’m sure she’s not far. She’s got to be around…. Somewhere…”

Jaune was scratching the back of his head. He didn’t know where Yang was, but he had a good idea.

“Sun? Can you go check the closets?”

“Why should I check the… oh. Right. Got it.”

The male Faunus left the room, and entered the dormitory hallway, where he was joined by Blake.

“Lemme guess,” he said, looking at her. “Yang?”

“Yes. And Neptune. Third floor. That is their usual hang out.”

They headed towards the staircase, knowing that they would have to check the entire floor.

At the opposite end of the hallway from the stairs, Yang and Neptune were tucked away, busy with their usual activities. The longer they went, the more the blonde had to fight the urge to unleash a pleasured scream. She loved how he was moving, and she didn’t want him to stop. However, they soon finished, their breathing ragged, almost as if they had run a race.

“You know, your sister is probably running a small trench in the floor.”

“Ruby’s fine. She needs to relax.”

“Yeah, but we are supposed to be there. And… aren’t you supposed to be with Weiss right now?”

Yang waved a hand and let out a small chuckle, which ended as soon as she heard Blake’s voice.

“Yang! Where are you two?”

“Whelp, this one’s over. Later tonight then?”

The blue-haired man looked at her and nodded as he reached a hand out and opened the door.

“Why am I not shocked that you guys were in there?”

“You know us. It shouldn’t shock you.”

“But today!? Come on!” Blake grabbed her partner’s hand and led the blonde woman back to the stairs. They would have to get her back into looking presentable, as her hair was messed up, and her dress needed cleaning. Luckily, there was nothing that would stain, but she looked like a mess.

As his fiancé led the blonde woman away, Sun turned to Neptune.

“You. You told me to stay out of trouble.”

“Hey! I’m not getting into trouble!”

“I stayed away from Blake for today, until just a moment ago when we went to find you two!”

The blue-haired man laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. He knew that he had made a deal with his former team mate and he had broken it.

“Any way I can make this up to you?”

“Just… come on.”

Deciding that returning Neptune to his proper location was better than having it out in the hallway, Sun grabbed his arm and led him back to where Ruby and Jaune were waiting.

Back down in the area that Weiss had less than affectionately dubbed “the holding area”, Blake and Nora were busy getting Yang looking as close as they could to how she had been before her preferred activity.

“Look. It isn’t anything unnatural!”

“That’s not the point. You know what is happening today. We have 45 minutes. Let’s not keep people waiting, okay? Now, hold still.”

Blake’s warning was not uncalled for, as she had found a small tear in the blonde woman’s dress, and was rapidly repairing it. Nora, meanwhile, was re-applying makeup to her face, guided by Weiss.

“Like this?”

“Yes…. No! Less of that!”

Back with the guys, Neptune’s return had calmed Ruby down slightly. She still wanted to see her sister again before they went through with everything, but he reassured her that she could talk after. Jaune was relaxing now that his friend was calming down, but both of them were sitting on pins and needles. They knew that today had to go perfectly, and one slip-up would potentially be immortalized in a photo.

Being wound tighter than a two dollar watch didn’t do much for being startled, so when Violetto opened the door to escort their half to where the ceremony would be taking place, Ruby almost became bonded with the ceiling from her jump.

“I was merely coming to collect you for travel. I didn’t mean to startle you, Ms. Rose.”

As the scythe-wielder returned to normal, she smiled awkwardly while attempting to straighten her hair back to normal.

“You didn’t mean it. I know.”

Down the hall, Blake was peeking out the door. As she saw the group depart, she ducked back inside.

“We have about 30 minutes before we have to leave as of right now.”

As she turned around to face the group, she saw that Yang was sitting in a chair, facing off against Nora in a game of poker. Blake was silently praying that it wasn’t strip poker at this point. Weiss, meanwhile, was going over some last minute business things on her scroll.

“Yes. That’s right. When I return, we need to take care of that. And…”

She was cut off as Pyrrha took the device. As she looked up at the red-head, a hurt expression on her face, she noticed that her friend was smiling.

“Weiss, just for today, please. Clock out.”

“Alright. I just…”

“Weiss, focus on Ruby. Now, tell them you’ll see them when you return.”

Pyrrha then handed the device back to her, and she ended the call.

Over at the cliffs, Oobleck was waiting. As he saw the members of the suited wedding party approaching, he relaxed slightly. He had not done anything like this since starting his teaching career, so he was incredibly nervous. He stopped his pacing when Nero placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’ll be fine.”

“I know I’ll be fine. But it isn’t me I’m concerned for. It is them. They are marrying on what could be the end of this peaceful age. I don’t want to see them come to any harm after finding their happiness. And I…”

He stopped as a cup of coffee was thrust into his hands.

“Drink this. You’ll feel better.”

He accepted the vessel from Glynda, who was standing by to ensure that nobody crashed the event should they get past Nero, Lilly, Russel and Violetto. There were going to be no chances taken today. And she was going to see to it.


	11. Zero Hour, Part 2

Lilly looked down at her scroll. The small device had not left her hand for some time since she had first picked it up once she had been given her mission. As the minutes ticked away, she waited, becoming more and more impatient as time seemed to be passing slower than normal. She knew that she only had to make sure that the bridal party got to the location safely.

Her alarm sounded, shaking her from her thoughts. As she looked down, she silenced the loudly ringing device, which caused a door to open.

“It’s time?”

Lilly looked over at Blake and nodded. Blake then opened the door and held it as Yang led Weiss out, followed by Nora, who was leading Pyrrha. As she shut the door, Lilly took point, with Blake bringing up the rear.

The few students who remained behind were shocked to see the procession of women in dresses. Any who dared to approach were met with a stern glare from Blake, who seemed to have instilled fear in a few of them during the normal course of the school year. For the most part, though, the group was largely recognizable as members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR, mostly because Nora was semi-skipping her way there.

At the cliff, Jaune and Ruby were being given last minute checks and inspections by Ozpin and Glynda.

“You two have come a long way since your first days here. Allow me to be the first to say it: Congratulations.”

Ruby rubbed the back of her head and smiled. She knew that the silver-haired professor meant well, but she was still nervous.

“Thank you… Still…”

“Ruby, I have made my fair share of mistakes, as you are fully aware. I don’t see you and Weiss coming together in this way as a mistake. You two have made your decision.”

“Besides,” Glynda chimed in, “You both managed to graduate from Beacon, despite the pressures on you from being together as you were.”

She then turned to Jaune.

“Mr. Arc, I don’t know how you did it, but you definitely improved and have become a strong Hunter. Do not let anybody tell you should never have come here.”

“Jaune, you and your partner have managed to stay together, even through some trying circumstances. Do not get discouraged. Your toughest battles are yet to come.”

The blonde male chuckled nervously as Sun walked over.

“Just got the word. They’re coming. Time to get you two front and center.”

The Faunus then led his two friends up to where Oobleck was waiting.

“Are you two nervous?”

Both Ruby and Jaune nodded.

“Don’t be. You two have an impeccable history of decision making. Continue doing that and nothing will stop you.”

Both Ruby and Jaune swallowed hard as a hush fell over the small crowd of people. They were slowly joined by their former team mates and family members, with Yang not overshadowing either bride, despite her being dressed in the white strapless dress that tapered into a deep crimson at the base, a pattern Weiss had insisted upon. Nora’s dress was similarly patterned, except hers was a knee-length crimson with goldenrod accents across it. Ren’s suit was similarly styled to hers, as was Neptune’s to Yang’s.

As Ruby looked over at her sister, Yang smiled and looked back in the direction she had come from, causing Ruby to look over. Jaune did at the same time. Both of their jaws would have hit the floor, had it not been for them clenching their teeth together out of sheer nervousness.

Weiss was dressed in a stunning white gown that was held up on top by a piece of fabric attached at the neck. On her arms were sleevelets, which hung loosely, the fabric bouncing slightly as she took her steps. At her waist were several sashes, which seemed to be attached by a white flower that was accented with red and white dust. The more she saw it, the more it was apparent that it was a white rose. Much to Ruby’s surprise, she was being led up by Professor Port, who had been suspiciously absent prior to that.

Following behind was Pyrrha, being walked up by Sun, a personal choice, as he and Blake had been almost completely instrumental in securing the space needed for the ceremony and the accompanying reception. The red-head’s dress was infinitely simpler, looking more like a statue of a foreign deity, the simple garment fitted to her every curve. As Jaune looked on, Ren was vigilant enough to notice a tear come down his friend’s face, and immediately produced a tissue, albeit too late, as the blonde had already wiped it away with his hand.  
Once they had reached the front, Oobleck started on the ceremony, being probably the most nervous minister in the history of weddings in Remnant.

“Today,” he began, “We are here to celebrate the joining of multiple lives into… two. And it is for this reason that we….”

And he began on his unintentionally long-winded speech, which was finally ended as a breeze blew in and took away his notes.

“Oh dear,” he sighed. “It would appear that we cannot continue down that path. So, I shall make it shorter and go off of what I know. Be warned: This is not something I do regularly.”

He then turned towards Jaune and Pyrrha.

“You two came to this school seeking to further your skills. After your graduation, you became closer. And it is now that I ask you, Jaune Arc, do you promise to be with this woman? Keeping her with you, above all others? Staying true to her, until you shall die?”

The blonde swallowed hard and donned a serious expression.

“I do.”

The caffeine junky turned to face Pyrrha.

“Pyrrha Nikos, do you promise to be with this man; remaining faithful to him and him alone, until such time as you die?”

“I do.”

“Excellent. Excellent. Moving on!”

He then zipped over to Ruby and Weiss.

“In light of the… circumstances, I shall ask you both at the same time. Do you promise to be with this woman; remaining faithful to her, until you both shall die?”

Ruby and Weiss looked at each other and smiled, responding in unison.

“I do.”

“Very well!”

The caffeine combustion chamber then zipped to stand between the two couples. Glancing down, he noticed one note had managed to stay with him.

“With this being as it is, I give you Mr and Mrs Jaune and Pyrrha Arc, and Mrs and Mrs Ruby and Weiss Schnee!”

As the newlyweds turned around, the otherwise quiet crowd applauded.

Oobleck looked at both couples.

“You can exchange a kiss, now, if you like.”

Neither pair needed to be told twice as they met in a pair of kisses unlike any that they had ever experienced.


	12. Afterparty

With the ceremony over, the group headed back to campus, where the re-assembled Team CFVY was keeping watch over the ballroom. They weren’t allowing any students inside, as per Blake’s orders. While this would have been strange during their time as students, now they were all Huntsmen and Huntresses with equal standing in their field.

Coco and Fox had since gone their separate ways, but they remembered their brief relationship at Beacon and still met up for some fun every now and again. Their choice of outfits hadn’t changed either since graduation. Yatsuhashi and Velvet, on the other hand had moved into the same building, and were working out of their own office. The swordsman had changed over to wearing a brown and black garment similar to his former attire as a student at Beacon. Velvet, on the other hand, had gone over to wearing more of a business suit, a pair of glasses adorning her face now.

As the party approached, Fox and Yatsuhashi opened the doors to make it easier for them to enter, as Coco and Velvet hijacked Weiss, in order to help her change over to a slightly simpler dress for the reception. There was no way, according to the fashionista, that Weiss was going to be able to survive in the dress she was in currently. Ruby gave her wife a quick kiss before the heiress was absconded with.

Jaune and Pyrrha headed over to double check the seating at the tables, as they wanted to make sure people were seated together, followed by Yang, who decided to take a seat for a little bit, as she felt slightly dizzy. The blonde woman simply attributed it to the fact that she had only eaten breakfast that day, and had not touched any other food, mostly under penalty of death from Weiss.

There was no way anything was going to go wrong at this point, unless both teams decided to re-enact their legendary food fight that was still being talked about on campus. All the same, Nora was placed as far away from Yang as possible to prevent a repeat. They had decided to forgo the introduction of the wedding party to speed things up a little, as the ballroom would be needing to be completely cleaned up from floor to ceiling to make preparations for the next year’s incoming students after this.

Weiss had managed to sneak in her own personal touches, including white flowers on the tables. As the heiress re-entered, Ruby rose and faced her, leaving the table to meet her half-way through the room. As their hands met, they looked into each other’s eyes, silver and blue orbs making direct contact, thanks to Weiss’ high heeled shoes.

They headed back to their seats and were almost immediately met with flatware tapping on glasses, much to Glynda’s chagrin. She knew the limits of things, and she didn’t want to have anything going wrong, which could force her to use her semblance. She was starting to lose it when Ozpin pushed a beverage towards her.

“Here.”

“Professor Ozpin?”

“Glynda, you need to calm down and relax for today, alright? There is no need to be angry if something should break.”

The Huntress downed the beverage and then noticed the after taste.

“Was this… alcoholic?”

Ozpin smiled and put his fingers together slightly. “Only a little bit.”

He then leaned in towards her and whispered something that made her blush.

“But…”

“Right now, we are simply people. We are, as other jobs would be, off the clock. What do you say?”

“Well… I…” she struggled to collect her thoughts.

“Have a couple more drinks with me, then we’ll discuss it again.”

“As you wish, Glynda.”

The two then headed over to stay by the bar that Ozpin had magically managed to procure for the event. He would never say where the alcohol had come from, and nobody would ever bother to ask. They knew that it had been his contribution to the wedding, so they left it at that.

Over at the head table, Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, and Pyrrha were accepting well wishes from their friends, co-workers, and family members. Oobleck had brought a message from Qrow and Taiyang for Ruby and Weiss, the two being unable to attend as Signal was on lockdown due to threats from the White Fang. It was who showed up after him that had them sitting slightly slack jawed.

“You… hung up on me earlier.”

“Penny….?”

Weiss turned to face Ruby.

“She works for the Schnee Dust Company now. Field inspections. She can detect things that we can’t.”

“Oooooh. Weiss, why didn’t you tell Ruby?”

The heiress chuckled, waving her hand in the air.

“I didn’t think about it.”

“Oh. Okay. In any case, congratulations. Be good you two!”

Penny then wandered off to sit next to her usual guardians, two soldiers from the Atlas military.

Jaune looked over at Pyrrha.

“Care to dance?”

“I would love to.”

They then got up and walked away from the table to dance together. As the night went on, more and more people joined them, crowding the dance floor with people. This had been expected, so they continued dancing for several hours, With Weiss guiding Ruby through a very simple box step at one point, as the latter was adamant that she still wasn’t a fancy-schmancy-dancy type of person.

Over at the bar, Ozpin had disappeared, he and Glynda heading off towards the teachers’ lodgings, where they would end up spending the rest of the night together. Russel was, at this point, passed out in the corner, an insane amount of alcoholic beverages scattered on the floor around him, while Violetto stood guard and tried to clean them all up. Nero and Lilly were standing off to one side, talking.

“You have to move on.”

“I know that,” the swordsman said, looking over at his partner. “It will happen when I’m good and ready, alright?”

“I know. But you’ve been really… mopey.”

“I know. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me.”

“But you have stood by me through the whole incident. I don’t want things to be… you know. Weird.”

“Nero, if something is normal with you, that is weird.”

She then laughed and walked off towards the bar. She would be joined by her partner, and the two would spend the rest of the time talking about things that had gone down.

As things started to wind down, Blake and Sun made a small motion with their heads, signaling the two newly-wed couples that there was a place where they could calm down a little.

Nodding gratefully, Jaune and Pyrrha led the way, followed closely by Ruby and Weiss. As they headed up the stairs, they ended up in a location that Jaune and Pyrrha remembered from their time as students. It was the very balcony where Pyrrha had first made it blatantly obvious that she wanted to be with Jaune. Weiss and Ruby turned around and headed off in the direction of the exit.

Before they could get far, they were stopped by Jaune and Pyrrha.

“Jaune?”

“Please, Ruby. Just stay up here. Both of you. It’s a beautiful view.”

“Are you sure,” Weiss questioned.

“Absolutely,” Pyrrha responded.

The two couples stood, looking out over the balcony railing, their faces lit by the moonlight. It was then that Nora, who had been behind the separation of the couples shoved a violin into Ren’s hands.

“Nora, what am I supposed to do with this?”

“Play that one song.”

“Nora….”

“Trust me, Ren. They’ll like it.”

The martial artist, now being forced into the role of musician, began playing, which startled the two couples momentarily. As they all looked over, Nora gave them all a thumbs up and pointed back at Ren. Taking it as a sign, they moved closer and began to dance on the balcony.

“Jaune?”

“Yes, Pyrrha?’

“I’m glad I met you.”

“Me too. Pyrrha?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for saying yes.”

The red-head placed her head on her husband’s shoulder before responding.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Weiss and Ruby were more-or-less rocking back and forth, as opposed to Jaune and Pyrrha who were slow dancing.

“Weiss?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember when we first met?”

“Yes, Ruby. I do. And you’re still a dunce.”

“I know. But I’m your dunce.”


End file.
